Sales Manager

Sales Manager

Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort is looking for a driven, outgoing Sales Manager who knows how to find business, build relationships, and close the sale. This is a hands-on sales position responsible for actively generating new group business and growing revenue across Sandestin's extensive meeting, conference, event, and resort offerings.

The ideal candidate is a hunter, not someone waiting for leads to come in someone who is comfortable picking up the phone, making cold calls, developing new accounts, asking for the business, and following through until the contract is signed. This person will actively target corporate meetings, conferences, conventions, associations, sports groups, weddings, reunions, social groups, military groups, and other group segments that can generate room nights, meeting space, food & beverage, and resort revenue.

Develop and execute a proactive sales plan focused on new business development and revenue growth.

• Make consistent outbound calls, cold calls, emails, and prospecting efforts to identify and develop new group accounts.
• Research and target companies, associations, meeting planners, sports organizations, event planners, tour operators, universities, clubs, and other potential group clients.
• Generate leads and aggressively pursue opportunities from initial contact through contract and final booking.
• Solicit and secure meetings, conferences, conventions, corporate retreats, sports tournaments, team travel, weddings, reunions, social groups, and other group business.
• Build a strong pipeline of qualified prospects and maintain accurate records of sales activity, opportunities, and expected revenue.
• Conduct sales presentations, property tours, site inspections, client meetings, and virtual presentations.
• Identify opportunities to sell the full Sandestin experience, including accommodations, meeting space, banquet and catering services, golf, recreation, resort amenities, and other experiences.
• Develop relationships with meeting planners and decision-makers and become a trusted resource for their future events.
• Participate in trade shows, networking events, sales missions, industry events, client entertainment, and community activities to generate business.
• Make sales calls and visits within assigned markets and travel as needed to develop accounts.
• Work closely with Conference Services, Catering, Revenue Management, Reservations, Marketing, Golf, F&B, and Resort Operations to ensure a seamless group experience.
• Respond quickly and professionally to RFPs, inquiries, proposals, and leads.
• Negotiate rates, packages, contracts, and concessions while protecting the resort's revenue goals.
• Track pace, production, conversion, room nights, average rate, total revenue, and other key sales metrics.
• Maintain an active account base while continually adding new prospects and accounts to the pipeline.
• Conduct regular follow-up with prospects and clients to maximize repeat and referral business.
• Identify opportunities to increase group revenue through upselling, additional room nights, meeting space, F&B, activities, golf, and resort experiences.
• Maintain current knowledge of competitors, market trends, group demand, and local/regional business opportunities.
• Represent Sandestin professionally and enthusiastically both on and off property.

This position is expected to be results-driven and highly accountable for sales production.

• Meet or exceed established monthly, quarterly, and annual sales goals.
• Maintain measurable outbound sales activity, including prospecting calls, appointments, presentations, site visits, and client contacts.
• Maintain a healthy and active sales pipeline with clearly defined next steps and anticipated revenue.
• Consistently generate new qualified leads and new accounts rather than relying solely on existing business.
• Meet established goals for room nights, group revenue, meeting space, F&B, and overall account production.
• Accurately forecast business and communicate changes in pace, pickup, and potential lost business.
• Take ownership of the sales process from prospecting through conversion.
• Be proactive in identifying gaps in the sales pipeline and developing strategies to fill them.
• Follow through on commitments and deadlines with clients and internal departments.
• Be willing to be measured by activity, conversion, production, and revenue results.

Previous hotel, resort, convention, destination, or hospitality sales experience preferred.

• Proven success in group sales, business development, outside sales, or account acquisition.
• A strong track record of prospecting and generating new business.
• Comfortable making cold calls and unsolicited sales outreach.
• Confident asking for the sale and closing business.
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and follow-up skills.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple accounts and sales opportunities.
• Comfortable working with sales goals, quotas, forecasts, and performance metrics.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently while collaborating with a large resort team.
• Professional, persistent, competitive, and personable.
• Willingness to travel for sales calls, trade shows, client visits, and sales missions as needed.
• Experience with hotel sales systems, CRM platforms, Delphi, Salesforce, or similar systems is a plus.

Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort is a premier destination in Northwest Florida, located on 2,400 acres between the emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Choctawhatchee Bay. With extensive accommodations, multiple dining outlets, four championship golf courses, a marina, tennis, recreation, private clubs, Hotel Effie, and approximately 90,000 square feet of flexible conference and event space, Sandestin offers an exceptional platform for group business.

This is an opportunity for a sales professional who wants to make an impact not simply manage an existing book of business. If you know how to prospect, build relationships, create opportunities, and close the deal, we want to talk to you.

EOE M/D/F/V

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort